Designer: Jonathan Morow & AI Tikkanen

Holes/ Par/ Yard: 18 holes par 72 (7006 yards)

Close: Open daily

Riverdale Golf Club is one of a few excellent Bangkok golf courses. Jonathan Morrow and Al Tikkanen designed and like Red Mountain, their other high-profile Phuket golf course, Riverdale makes good use of intelligent routing and elevation changes. Riverdale may not at first glance look the most menacing test of golf. However, its all an illusion.

The landscape includes several large lakes which were dredged to create the hills that surround the golf course and frame most of the holes. Beyond the perimeter, though there’s not much to look at;  factories and small villages dominate. However, from opening tee-shot to the gently sloping downhill opener, the challenges and considerable charm of these immaculately groomed links will quickly assert themselves.

Aside from its excellent conditioning and challenges, the real joy of Riverdale Golf Club lies in its beautiful interplay of gently rolling fairways, many small reed-lined lakes, raised greens, excellent bunkering, and large hills that break-up some of the layout’s inherent openness.